Did you know bees are responsible for every one third bite of food we eat!

Did you know that bees are in trouble? Bees are disappearing in alarming numbers because of a nasty problem called Bee Colony Disorder.

What we don't know is how this is affecting bees in Tolland.

In 2008, The Great Sunflower Project started to gather information and to give us the tools to learn about what is happening with the pollinators in our area. The GSP now has the largest single body of information about bee pollinator service in North America. Thanks to thousands of observers from all over the country, the GSP can determine where pollinator service is strong or weak compared to averages. Connecticut has the highest concentration of pollination service in the country!

Participants in TYG programs this growing season will be able to plant sunflower seeds (see related post on Magical Seed Workshop) and take counts of the number and types of pollinators visiting plants at the TYG, especially sunflowers in the new Great Sunflower Wall.

Anyone can count pollinators wherever you go, on any plant, and report your findings to the GSP. You can even count if you can't identify the plant. You can help by watching a plant and recording how many pollinators visit over 15 minutes, or by recording pollinators as you take a walk!

To learn more about the Great Sunflower Project and how you can contribute to this important scientific study and conservation effort, go to the Great Sunflower Project web page: http://www.greatsunflower.org/node/1000010